Expandible bulb motor



J. OKONSKI Jan. 20, 1970 EXPANDI BLE BULB MOTOR United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An expandible bulb motor having a member constrained on a frame for translatory motion, which member is moved from a first position to a second position by the expansion of a bulb within the member and returned to the first position by a spring, said member being connected to a crank arm having one end mounted for oscillatory motion on an axle so as to cause the crank arm to be moved from a first position to a second position as the member is moved from said first position to said second position, and one-way clutch means interconnecting the motion of said crank arm to a flywheel rotatably mounted on that axle to impart rotational forces to the flywheel as the crank arm is moved from said first position to said second position but not when said crank arm is returned from said second position to said first position, and a hand held squeeze bulb communicating through tubing to the interior of said expandible bulb for causing the expandible bulb to move said member from said first position to said second position when the hand held bulb is squeezed.

This invention relates to an expandible bulb motor, and more specifically to such a bulb which is particularly well adapted to drive small items such as a toy.

A major object of this invention is to provide an improved expandible bulb motor.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expandible bulb motor for causing rotation of a flywheel in such a way that the rotational speed effect of the motor on the flywheel increases as the driving member of the motor is moved through a limited path of translatory motion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a low cost motor which is particularly adapted to drive toys needing rotary power.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a rotary motor operating on the expandible bulb motor principal, which motor is of rugged construction and particularly suited to be manufactured economically.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent in the deailed description below in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross section elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention which the drive piston of the motor in the extended condition;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the motor in FIG. 1 with the piston in the retracted condition;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken away plan view of the first embodiment of the motor;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional vew disclosing details of the assembly for mounting the flywheel and the one-way clutch assembly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the crank arm, taken along line 55 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 66 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the bearing assembly for the piston member taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 1, and;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the 3,490,233 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 ice bearing for the piston member, taken along 88 in FIG. 7.

Briefly, the invention includes a flywheel rotatably mounted on a frame on an axle. Also, swingably secured to the axle is a crank arm which is movable between a first and a second position, with the provision of oneway clutch means operatively connecting the crank arm and the flywheel so that the swinging movement of the crank arm from the first position to the second position imparts rotational force to the flywheel, however, the flywheel can continue to rotate in the same direction while the crank arm is being returned to the first position. In order to oscillate the crank arm between those two positions, there is provided a piston member which is mounted for translatory motion and has a clevis at one end which is received in a slot extending along the crank arm. The piston member is connected to the crank arm such that the force of the piston member is initially applied to the crank arm at a position further from the axle (the axis of rotation of the flywheel) than when the piston is at the end of its power stroke, and therefore, the crank arm is in the second position. By this arrangement, constant velocity of the piston tends to accelerate the rotation of the flywheel. This augments the rotational velocity of the flywheel. In order to drive the piston member, there is provided a unique structure including an expandible bulb with the piston member actually forming a constraining chamber for the expandible bulb thereby permitting the use of a very thin membrane on the expandible bulb. A resilient means is provided for returning the piston to its starting position after the pressure inside the expandible bulb is released.

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. The motor includes a frame, indicated generally by the arrow 10, which frame comprises a base plate 11 and having a generally U-shaped bracket 12 and a stand 14 secured thereto. These components may be made of metal or plastic as desired.

Referring to FIG. 4 in particular, the stand 14 has a hole 15 at its upper end, which hole receives an axle 16 journaled therein. At one end of the axle 16, there is a flywheel 17 fixed to the axle by means such as a set screw. Preferably, the flywheel is constructed so that it can either produce force on a pulley belt of high speed with low force or low speed with high force. Accordingly, the flywheel 17 has a groove 18 on the perimeter on the outside of the flywheel for producing relatively high speed on a pulley belt. Also, there is provided on the hub of the flywheel, a groove 19 for receiving a pulley belt which would be driven with greater force but less velocity. By way of example, a loop of string could be received in either of the two grooves 18 or 19 and then passed around a pulley of a toy to be driven (not shown).

As mentioned above, the invention includes the use of a one-way clutch means in order to convert oscillatory motion into rotational motion in one direction. This can be accomplished by different ways. Preferably, such oneway clutch means includes a ratchet wheel 21 which is keyed to the axle 16 at the opposite end of the journal bearing provided by the hole 15. By way of example, .such keying can be accomplished by a set screw. The ratchet wheel 21 has a series of one-way teeth 22 around its perimeter for a purpose to be described in further detail.

Adjacent to the ratchet wheel 21 there is an elongated crank arm 24 having at a first end a cylinder 25 which is journaled on the end of the axle 16 opposite the flywheel. The crank arm 24 first end is further defined by a small shoulder 26 which holds the main portion of the crank arm away from the ratchet wheel 21. A screw 27, threaded into an appropriate hole in the end of the axle 16, has a head of suflicient size to prevent the cylinder portion 25 3 of the crank arm 24 from sliding off of the end of the axle 16.

Spaced a small distance away from the first end of the crank arm 24 there is provided an enlargement 29 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 in particular) which has one end of an elongated fiat spring member secured thereto by means such as a bolt 31. As can be seen best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring member 30 is sized so that it intercepts the ratchet teeth 22 as the crank arm is moved counterclockwise (as seen in these figures). It will be noted that the enlargement 29 supports the spring member when the crank arm is moved in that counterclockwise motion. However, when the crank arm 24 is swung clockwise, the spring member 30 may move away from the enlargement 29 to permit the teeth 22 to pass the spring member. With this arrangement, the crank arm 24 can be moved from the first position as shown in FIG. 2 to the second position shown in FIG. 1, and in so doing, impart rotational velocity to the flywheel 17. However, as the crank arm 24 is returned from the second position shown in FIG. 1 to the first position shown in FIG. 2, the flywheel 17 can continue its rotation (counterclockwise as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2).

The crank arm 24 is further defined by an elongated slot 34 which extends from the second end of the crank arm to a position near the first end of the crank arm. The manner in which this slot 34 is used will be described further below.

In order to successively cause the crank arm 24 to be moved between said first and second positions, a driver means is provided. The preferred form of this driver means will now be described.

The frame 12 includes a left leg 36 and a right leg 37 (as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2) which are joined at their upper edges. The left leg 36 has a hole therethrough for a purpose to be described. The right leg 37 has had a section of the leg bent out of the plane of the leg to provide a mounting flange 39. This mounting flange 39 is used to anchor a rigid tube 40 to the bracket 12 by clamping that rigid tube between the mounting flange and a plate 41.

That rigid tube 40 is part of a first member which is fixed to the frame 10. That first member also includes a collar 42 at the left end of the tube 40 (as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2), which collar is belledout at its right end to provide an enlarged flange or skirt 43.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, there are provided a pair of bearing members 45 received around the left leg 36 near the lower portion of the hole 38. These bearing members 45 are preferably made of a slick material such as Teflon, and are sized so that they will be normally held in the position shown by frictional forces. Thus, the bearing members 45 provide a low cost, easily assembled, low friction support for a purpose which will now be described.

Received through said hole 38, and slidingly supported by said bearing members 45, there is a piston which preferably takes the form of an elongated second member 46 having a bore 47 therein into which is receive-d said collar 42 and a portion of the rigid tube 40. At the left end of the second member 46 is a clevis member 48 provided with a fork 49 to receive the crank arm 24 with a cross pin 50 extending through the slot 34. This arrangement connects the second member 46 to the crank arm 24 in such a way as to permit the member and the arm to slide and swing relative to each other. With this arrangement, the crank arm 24 can be oscillated around its first end (journaled to the axle 16) by translatory motion of the member 46 between the two positions of the member shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

At the right end of the member 46, there is provided a cap 52 which is provided with a hole 53 therein through which may slide the rigid tube 40. The cap 52 is preferably held in position by frictional forces, as this has been found to be suflicient. However, the cap 52 also could be held by means such as glue or a thread arrangement.

Disposed within the bore 47, and engaging the right side of the collar 42 and the cap 52 is a tapered-wound compression spring 54. This spring resiliently urges the second member 46 toward the right (as seen in FIG. 2) to return the crank arm 24 to its first position.

In order to cause the second member 46 to be moved from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 1, there is provided in the area to the left of the collar 42 an expandible bulb 58 which is sealingly secured to the collar 42. by means of a clamp ring 59'. At the end of the rigid tube 40 opposite the end to which the collar 42 is connected, there is a flexible hose 60 sealingly received thereon. This flexible hose 60 is used to communicate air pressure to the tube 40- and the expandible bulb 58 from a hand held squeeze bulb 61.

With this arrangement, squeezing of the hand bulb 61 will cause the expandible bulb 58 to expand, moving the second member 46 like a piston from the position shown in FIG. '2 to the position shown in FIG. 1. Then, when the hand bulb 61 is released the spring 54 returns the member 46 to its first position. It should be noted that the arrangement of the bulb 58 within the bore 47 of the member 46 results in the wall Of the bore supporting the bulb against outward movement (e.g., up and down as seen in FIG. 1). Therefore, a very thin membrane can be used for the expandible bulb 58. This not only reduces the cost of the structure, but such thin membrane will last longer than thicker membranes as the bulb must be folded as the member 46 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. An expandible bulb motor comprising:

a frame;

a flywheel secured to an axle rotatively mounted on said frame;

a crank arm having a first end mounted adjacent said axle for oscillating motion about said first end between a first position and a second position;

one-way clutch means operatively connected to said arm for imparting the motion of said arm to said axle and fiywheel when said arm is moved from said first position to said second position but not when said arm is moved from said second position to said first position;

expandible bulb driver means for causing said arm to move intermittently between said first and second position, said driver means comprising:

a first member fixed to said frame;

a second generally cylindrical member having a central bore partially receiving therein said first member;

means operatively connecting said second member to said arm at a point spaced away from said first end of said arm;

bearing means on said first and second means guiding said second member for transitory motion along a line between a first position where said arm is in said first position and a second position where said arm is in said second position;

an expandible bulb sealed to said first member and being located within said bore between said first member and the end of said second member;

means communicating the interior of said bulb with a bulb adapted to be squeezed by the hand of the operator, whereby when said last mentioned bulb is squeezed said expandible bulb is expanded to drive said second member from said first position to said second position causing rotation of said flywheel.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 including:

means for resiliently urging said second member from said second position toward said first position.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said arm has a slot extending from a mid-point of said arm toward said second end;

a cross pin on said second member is received through said slot, said arm being located relative to said line such that said cross pin is further away from said first end when said arm is in said first position than when said arm is in said second position whereby a given amount of movement of said second member causes less rotation of said flywheel when said arm is near said first position than when said arm is near said second position so that constant velocity of said second member will accelerate said flywheel as said second member is moved from said first position to said second position.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said first member includes:

an elongated tube mounted at one end to said frame;

an enlarged collar secured to a second end on said tube;

said second member is elongated with said means for operatively connecting said second member to said arm being located at a first end, said second member having cap means at a second end receiving therethrough said tube; and

a compression spring is located around said tube and engages said collar and said cap means and urges said second member toward said first position.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 including:

a bulb adapted to be held in a users hand and alternately squeezed and released;

a flexible tube communcating said hand held bulb with said first end of said elongated tube and thence to the interior of said expandible bulb.

6. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said oneway clutch includes:

a ratchet wheel secured to said axle;

an elongated flexible spring member having one end References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,361 12/1949 Burdick -62.5 XR 2,733,572 2/1956 Butterfield et 211. 3,366,916 1/1968 Oktay 60-625 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 603,882 1/ 1926 France.

EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner Us 01. X.R. 

